89
Twilight
"So you're saying you've been trapped here for at least a thousand years?
"Yes."
"And the only reason I can understand you, and why you look so young, is because of...the curse?"
"Exactly."
Professor Furuichi stared at the handsome brunet in front of him. Well, he's definitely more good looking than all of my exes combined. But still, something didn't sit right.
"So… what part of the myth tells me what happens when I free you?"
"Er," the brunet scratched his head, "none of it actually."
"Right. So, there is a chance I could become cursed in place of you, trapped here for who knows how long, until the next unlucky bastard comes along?"
"I...don't know," the brunet moved to sit when his knees buckled. "All I know is that I was given this. It's my name, but I don't know how to read it. The spirit didn't tell me what would happen to my redeemer, just that I would finally be free." The brunet produced a scroll from thin air, and tapped it against his knee.
Furuichi's initial thought was that it was a trap, but after seeing the brunet's kicked puppy expression, rolled brown eyes and reached for the scroll. Pushing sweaty silver bangs out of his eyes, Furuichi gave the brunet one last cautious look, "...If I read this, you can go home, right?"
"Well, yes, but...home's not there anymore, is it?"
"...That doesn't mean you couldn't make a new one."
"I guess so, but- Argh!"
The brunet cradled his head and the temple made a piercing shriek causing Furuichi to do the same.
"Furuichi Takayuki!" A voice bellowed from the temple's depths.
"Y-yes?"
"You have proven to be a soul worthy of the gods. To lift the curse, you must set us free before twilight."
"But what happens next? What am I freeing?"
"You are wise and cautious. I am an ancient being created by souls who could not let go of the mortal plane. When we are freed, these souls may move on and I may rest. Only a soul pure enough can read the scroll in this man's hand."
Furuichi worried his lower lip. The brunet moaned and thrashed on the floor in a way that could only be interpreted as immense pain. Without wasting a second more, Furuichi took the scroll and opened it. The characters looked familiar.
It looked a lot like Japanese actually.
"...O...ga...Ta...Tas-no Tatsumi?"
A cosmic light and force both blinded and flung Furuichi into the nearest wall.
Then, silence.
The professor struggled to regain his breath, but could definitely feel that any mystical presence there was before, was gone now.
"Oga!"
The brunet hacked and wheezed on the cave floor, until gently propped up by clammy hands.
"You did it. I am free."
"Don't mention it. Let's get to the village. I think the sun is coming up soon."
"Wait! I...need to repay you somehow."
Furuichi eyed Oga's body, then looked away.
"I'm sure we'll think of something eventually."